HIIT For Fat Loss

If one of your fitness goals is to burn fat you're probably thinking you'll need to put in lots of time doing long, slow cardio workouts. Talk about boring. Fortunately, I can tell you of a better way. It's called HIIT (or H.I.I.T.) and it should be a key part of your fat loss plans.

So what is HIIT? HIIT stands for High-Intensity Interval Training. HIIT isn't another one of those long slow cardio programs. Instead, a HIIT workout involves several cycles of short, high-intensity exercise, followed by short low-intensity recovery periods. Done right, HIIT workouts are killers, but they don't take a long time and they're highly effective at burning fat and building muscle.

Following a HIIT approach causes your heart rate to continually vary, going back and forth from a low level to near your maximum rate. HIIT workouts are short, but intense. A basic HIIT workout consists of a warm-up period, followed by several cycles of varying-intensity exercise, ending with a cool down period. The whole workout will usually take considerably less than an hour.

Scientific studies show that over time, a cardio program built around HIIT can burn up to 9 times the calories as an old-fashioned cardio workout. Shorter, more intense workouts that give far better results than longer, more boring ones.

Why is HIIT more effective than traditional cardio? The spikes in heart rate and energy consumption involved in HIIT cause your body to release massive amounts of growth hormone and other chemicals that trigger fat burning and muscle growth. The intense work you do during the session causes your metabolism to run at a higher rate for many hours after your workout. During this time, your body is rebuilding the tissues stressed by your workout, making them a little stronger and better able to handle the workload you are subjecting them to.

HIIT not only works better than traditional cardio, but it fits better into a busy lifestyle. If you're determined to lose that gut, you're going to have to dedicate a lot of time to strength training. I don't know about you, but I don't have the time or patience to run on top of serious lifting sessions. HIIT is a solution to this problem.

High-intensity interval training can really make a difference in your fat loss results. But as with other aspects of your effort to burn fat & get fit, starting slowly is the best way to proceed. HIIT workouts are a particularly strong example of this general rule. I know from bitter experience that pushing HIIT too fast can leave you a quivering heap on the ground. Going too hard too fast is also a great way to lose your lunch.

HIIT is truly a more effective way to build muscle and burn fat on your way to awesome personal fitness. If you have any doubts, compare the physique of the typical marathon runner (long, slow distance) to the typical sprinter (short bursts of high-intensity effort). Which one would you prefer to look like?

Take advantage of HIIT's ability to burn fat faster without losing muscle. With all its benefits, high-intensity interval training (HIIT) should definitely be part of your complete fitness plan. Just remember to increase your HIIT training gradually and you'll start seeing results fast.